Means for emptying submergence-tanks in submergible boats.



L. Y. SPEAK. MEANS FOR EMPTYING SUBMERGENCE- TANKS IN SUBMEEGIBLE BOATS.

APP L'mAmoN rxnmnov. 18, 1907.

Patented July 19, 191i).

KNVENTOR ATTORNEYS -103v pressure tanks are intended to be UNLTEDOFFICE.

LAWRENCE Y. SPEAK, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSpNOR FIDO ELECTRIC BOATCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MEANS FOR EMPTYING- .5U'BMERGENCE-TANKS IN SUBMERGIBLE BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 19, 1911), Applicationfiled November 18, 1907.

Serial No. 402,749.

To all whom it may concern:

l'ic it known that I, ln\\\'un1\on Y. Sin-nu, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State ofivlussachusetls, have invented certain new and useful Inipioveincnts inh cans for Emptying SuluncrgenceTanks in Subnnergible Boats and I dohereby deehure the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scriptionof (he invention, such as will cnable others skilled in. the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention herein described comprises improved means for expellh'igwater from the suln'iiicrgence tanks of submarine or submergible'bmts bymeans of compressed air or the like; i

In boots of this character as they have been constructed up to thepresent time it has been customary to make the submergence tanks ofdifferent strengths, these several tanks being known as the highpressure and low pressure tanks, respectively. The

emptied only at shallow depths of submergence, and when a'correspondingly low pressure is required for the expulsion of the water.The high pressure tanks are intended to be emptied at the greater depthsof .submergence when the external pressure is higher and they areconstructed to with stand the necessary internal pressure for thispurpose. For the purpose of expelling the water from these severaltanks, it has been customary to store air'in the vessel in a highpressure reservoir and to pipe it to the several tanks through reducingvalves which reduce the pressure to different degrees, that is, forexan'iple,thc low pressure submergence tanks have been connected tomains in which the. ressure has been reduced to ten pounds and thehigheil pressure submerence tanks have been 0 nected to mains in which.the pressure ha' been' reduced to fiftyfpounds and to one hundredpounds. With thisfarrangement, when it is desired to expel the waterfroln any one of the submergcnce tanks an appropriate valve is opened toputv that tank into direct communication with the air supply main Whichis connected to it, ind allow the air to blows the water out of; the'lftank. This system involves a considerable waste of compressed air sincethe tcndency'is, in order to insure the manifold to the respectivetanks,

the complete emptying of thetanks, to allow the air to How even afterthe tanks are completely emptied. The system further.- more involves acon'iplieated arrangement of service pipes since these pipes mustbe,nmintained at dilli'erent pressures as aboyef described. llurthermore,it often own IS that a subn'iergencc tank is only partially lillcd withwater and when the pipe con meeting the tank with the external water isopened, preparatory to emptying the tank, water from the outside willflow in before, the air pressure in the tank has reached the necessarypoint to cause the expulsion of the, Water, thus wasting air and power,as well as disturbing momentarily the position of 7 9 the vessel.

The object of the present invention is to simplify this system and savethe waste of air which is involved in it. The nature f: the meansadopted for this purpose will be, 75,? understood from a considerationof the fol-,- lowing description and the accompanying drawing. Y Thedrawing is a central longitudinal s ection of a submarine orsubnicrgible boat; equipped with the improved system. Separatesulnnergence tanks, as many as may be desired, are formed by inclosing'portions of the interior hull ofthe vessel; as

' to withstand only ten pounds pressuleftllg tank a fifty pounds, andthe tank I; one hu dred pounds. Indeed the improved'system may beapplied directly to the now comrn type of submarine boat without anychange in the submergence tanks. Each of-tliese tanks is connected withthe external "wait-er by a suitable pipe controlledby e Va-lY Such pipesare shown at a, b", 0, controlle by the valves (1, e and f. Eachsubmergence tank is provided. with a pipe, as g, h and ii, for admittingthe c pressed air thereto and each of these p11 is provided with a three'ay valve 51,," It and i, which valves are capable utti the tanks intocommunication & 1th th manifold in directly, or with the in the boat.When the pipes are in commun cation with the manifold is they are readyto allow a passage of compressed air fr n when they are 1!)communication with the iii) f? anyf iossibility' of a flowing in ofwater into :tliejtanks is, avoided.

pressed air from the high pressure reservoir respective pipes g,

or reservoirs'l thre gh the pipes l to the "d and z leading to thesubmergence tanks.

Connected into the upper portion of each of the submergence tanks is atell-tale pipe, as m, n and 0, and to each of these telltale pipes isconnected a pressure gage, as m, n and o, the gages being thus arrangedto indicate the pressure within the sub1ner- 'genc ,tanks. These gagesare preferably mounted on a gage board in plain view of the man.operating the air'system and on the same board ZS mounted a gage 7)which is connected through the telltale pipe p to Y the watefon'ztheoutside of the vessel, this a gage thus servihg to ix-idicate theexternal .13 i a prefer to so adjust this gage 72'" that it willpressure atevery depth nf sulnnersion. I

i 1 indicate the pressure at the lowest. part of the lowest tank.

' The operation is as follows: For the purpose of submersion the valves4, e and f are opened allowing Water to flow lnt-o the submergencetanks, the air 1n those tanks displaced by the water escaping throughthe Valves 9', h and i, which are properly set for that purpose. WVlienthe vessel is suiticientl submerged the valves d, e and j are close Whenit is desiredto expel water from any or all of the submergence tanks,

' the valves It. and i havin been set to put the" tanks intocommunication with the ;manifold, the appropriate valves in the manifoldare ropened, allowing the air from the highcpres'sure I'GSGI'VOII'S toenter the pressure.

' submergence tanks and this air is allowed to How until thepressureregistered by the ga es m), n and 0' ,cxceeds the pressure in icated bthe gage'p, that is, the external lhe va-lvcs d' i e and f are then 1opened and the watelisexpelled. By this arrangement it is possible toexpel the Water from any or all of the submergence tanks from a singlehigh pressure system without danger of destro ing the tanks. By causingthepressure wit in the tanks to exceed the pressure before the seavalves are opened The operator soon ,,-l'earnsjt o What degree thepressure in the tan-ks must'be caused to exceed the pressurecommunication with the external registeredby the gage p in order to,expel the Water therefrom entirely, and he is thus enabled to preventwaste of the compressed air.

It will be understood that the manifold maybe connected directly to thehigh pressure tanks commonly used as indicated in the drawing, or theremay be interposed between the high pressure tank and themeservoir apressure reducing valve of any de sired capacity. It will also beunderstood that the invention is not dependent upon the -location of thesubmergence tanks within the hull of the vessel, or upon any particularrelative arrangement of said tanks, and, instead of the specialconstruction and arrangement of tanks illustrated, any other desirableor convenient construction and arrangement may be adopted for use,either interiorly or exteriorly of the hull.

What I claim is 1. In a submarine or submergible boat, a

plurality of submergcnce tanks including tanks discharging under highpressure and tanks discharging under low pressure, a single fluidpressure system connected'to the several submergence tanks forexpelling; the water therefrom, and means for indicating the pressure ineach tank, whereby danger of exploding the low pressure tanks isavoided; substantially as described.

2. I11 a submarine orjsubmergible boat, a plurality of submergehce tanksincluding tanks discharging under high pressure and tanks dischargingunder low pressure and having conduits by which communication with theexternal water may be established, a reservoir for containing afiuidunder pres sure, valvecontrolled conduits extending from the saidreservoir to the several tanks for admitting the pressure fluid theretoto expel the water therefrom, and means for indicating the pressure ineach tank, whereby high and low pressure submergene tanks may beoperated from a singlepressure system; substantially as described.

3. In a submarine or submergibleboat, a plurality of submergence tanksincluding tanks discharging under high pressure and tanks dischargingunder low ressure and having valvecontrolled conduits by which beestablished and shut oif at will,'a rese voir for containing a fluidunder pressure, valve-controlled conduits extending said reservoir totheseveral tan s for adwater mayv from the mitting the pressure fluidthereto to expel the water therefrom, means for indicating the pressurein each tank, and means for indicating, the pressure of the externalwater; substantially as described.

.4. In a submarine or submergible boat, a plurality of submergence tanksincludin tanks discharging under high pressure and tanks discharglngunder low pressure and v having conduits by which communication with theexternal Water may be established, means for increasing the pressureWithin said tanks at will, means for indicating the pressure in eachtank and means for indicating the'pressure of the external Water;substantially as described.

5. In a submarine or submergible boat, a plurality of submergenee tankshaving valve-controlled conduits by which com munication with theexternal Water may be established and shut ofi' at will, a reservoir forcontaining a fluid under high pressure, conduits extending from the saidreservoir to the several tanks for admitting the pressure fluid theretoto expel the water there from, a tell-tale pipe extending from eachreservoir, pressure gages attached to said tell-tale pipes to indicatethe pressure in each tank, a tell-tale ipe extending from the externalwater, {L115 a pressure gage attached to said pipe; substantially asdescribed.

6. In a submarine or submergible boat, a

plurality of submergence tanks having valve-controlled conduits by whichcommunication with the external water may be established and shut oil?at will, a reservoir for containing a fluidnnder high pressure, amanifold in communication with said reservoir, service manifold to theindividual tanks and a Valve in the manifold controlling each servicepipe, a tell-tale pipe extending from each reservoir, pressure tell-talepipes to indicate the pressure in each tank, a tell-tale pipe extendingfrom the external water and a pressure gage attached to the said pipe,the said gages being all arranged Within the view oi'xthe man operatingthe manifold; substantially as described. In testimony whereof Iafiix mysignature, in presence of two Witnesses.

LAWVRENCE Y. SPEAK. Witnesses:

ALBERT "W. SIOUSSA, EDWARD L. HILLYER.

plpes extending from the gages attached to the said

